In a kitchen, grease fires and other types of fires are a concern. For example, a pan of grease on a stove burner can become so hot that it ignites. A grease fire left unextinguished can burn the walls around and above the stove. If unattended, the fire can spread and cause considerable damage and risk of injury.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,518,075 discloses a fire extinguisher that is particularly well suited to a stovetop environment. The '075 patent provides a container of an extinguishing agent. The container is located above the stovetop, such as with a magnet secured to a hood over the stove. The bottom of the container contains a fuse. A fire on the stovetop ignites the fuse, which in turn detonates an igniter. The igniter opens the bottom of the container, thereby allowing the disbursement of the extinguishing agent onto the fire and the stovetop.
The extinguisher of the '075 patent is commonly found on stovetops having a hood over the stove. However, a number of kitchens utilize microhoods over stovetops. A microhood has a microwave oven and a hood fan. The microhood is located closer to the top of the stop than the prior hood. In addition, the microhood is mounted more rearwardly over the stovetop than is the hood. The front burners of the stovetop are typically left uncovered by the microhood.
These changes, namely the closer spacing and rearward location, means that an extinguisher like the '075 patent might not be able to adequately extinguish a fire on the front burners.